152-lot subdivision proposed on McWilliams Road in Bremerton

A developer has applied to build a 152-lot subdivision on McWilliams Road in East Bremerton, between Central Valley Road and Highway 303.

Beau Harer, along with two family members, purchased the 29-acre parcel of land at 700 McWilliams Road in 2014. The development would consist of 152 duplexes.

"When we first looked at the property we considered apartments, but the scale of it right there in that location would be too much for the market to absorb," Harer said.

The Kitsap County Hearing Examiner is scheduled to review the application from the developers, operating as McWilliams Road LLC, on March 8.

The project includes the construction of two access roads, stormwater detention facilities and buffers for wetlands. The subdivision would also feature a trail system and playground, Harer said.

Average lots will be between 3,000 and 3,500 square feet, according to application documents filed with the county. Structures currently on the property, a home and several outbuildings, which would be torn down.

The neighborhood could generate about 877 vehicle trips a day, according to a traffic analysis of the project. The developers will have to pay $60,000 in traffic mitigation fees.

The county would also require developers to do some road improvements on McWilliams, like adding 14-foot travel lanes, a five-foot bicycle lane, vertical curbs, gutters and five-foot sidewalks.

A steeply forested area in the northwestern corner of the property would remain largely undeveloped, Harer said.

While the project is pending approval, Harer said he hopes to get construction started this summer. The architect on the project is Bremerton-based Blue Architect and Interiors.

"The three of us purchased this a few years ago, and we've been sitting around waiting for right opportunity to build on it," Harer said.